Mr Brightside
by piper maru duchovny
Summary: Her heart lay in another's hands. Adam's pov in Epilogue. SMACKED - I swear.


**A/N: Because I LOVE Adam Ross and if I read one more persons bash on Adam I'll scream. No lie. IT TAKES TWO TO SCREW. I'm still a smacked, but this Adam hate is getting ridiculous. **

**Disclaimer: Like own jack crap?**

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But it's just the price I pay  
Destiny is calling me  
Open up my eager eyes  
Cause I'm Mr. Brightside  
-The Killers;

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Adam Ross sat in the hotel bed; his mind was racing with a thousand thoughts, but only one prevailed: 'Dear God, she's beautiful'. The smile was permanent on his face as he watched her get dressed. She shot him a grin over her shoulder as she pulled on her heels. How they ended up in the situation was beyond him, but he fought the urge to bounce on the bed he was so giddy.

Stella Bonasera stepped into her dress and settled the straps around her shoulders. Sliding her coat on slowly, she sauntered over to where Adam sat. She smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips. His hand cupped her cheek and slid around to cradle the back of her head.

"I've gotta go or I'll never leave." Stella smirked.

Adam let go slowly, "I'll see you at work."

"That you will." She patted his leg through the sheet and stood up.

With the jaunt of a woman who'd just gotten some, she walked across the hotel room floor. She shot him one final smile, wink combo before slipping out the door and into the night. Never in a million years had Adam Ross thought he'd live to participate in that moment.

His mind was still foggy on how they had gotten to the act. It wasn't premeditated – at least on his part. They had been at a function for the mayor, it'd been held in the ballroom of a the new hotel. Stella had shown up late and been silent most of the night. Being the guy he was, he'd gone over to check on her. Somewhere between a few glasses of champagne they'd found their way upstairs and under the covers.

If he ventured to guess, everything had finally caught up with Stella. The last few months had been hard on all of them, but Stella wasn't just taking in the death of Jessica Angell, but the loss of her beloved Professor Papakota as well. It was simply too much for one person to handle on her own.

His pure intent of just hugging her and holding her til the wave of grief passed had flown out the door when their lips found one another. It had been mutual. It had been Adam Ross's dream come true. Since the moment he'd walked into the city of New York's crime lab four years prior, he'd held a candle for Stella Bonasera.

–

A day passed. He was scheduled to work and she had the rare day off. She clouded his each and every thought. What happened now? Would it happen again? Was it just a grief thing? Were the they fuck-buddies? Was it more? Did she feel anything? Was she okay? Adam had absolutely no idea and he was honestly scared out of his mind to find out.

He was stuck in Trace the entire day. They'd had a B&E and the burglar had decided to make a fine mess of everything. So he sat in the Trace lab the entire day, stuck in his own thoughts with not even his iPod to distract him.

Any time someone said his name, he nearly jumped out of his skin. His heart was racing the Indianapolis 500 and his stomach had taken residence in his throat. He knew he could call her – that he should call her – but he was too chicken shit to make a move.

What had been a great night could turn into a day of rejection and if he was honest, that alone could break him.

–

The call came after a few short hours of sleep. It was Hawkes and his only words were "Shoot out. Mac. Danny. All hands on deck. Bring your kit." Stella was on today and even if she wasn't, she'd be called in for this. They were a team and they protected their own.

When he pulled up to the scene, kit in hand, Stella was nowhere to be found. Taking a deep breath, determined to play it cooler than he had the day before, he made a quip as he walked pass the Messers. He shot them a grin and began to process the scene. He was gathering prints when Stella made her appearance. She shot him a smile and he knew that they were good – at least for now.

Once again he was stuck in Trace and then A/V and then Trace again. All he wanted was two seconds with Stella to figure out where the hell they stood so he knew whether or not he should find a good therapist. He hadn't seen her, spare a few minutes in the conference room where they were surrounded by colleagues, and it was beginning to drive him nuts.

A blow to his ego by Haylen Becall and he was more desperate for his answers than ever. More hours clocked in Trace than he'd ever like to admit and he finally gave in. Chasing her down and cornering her in the hallway. It wasn't how he wanted to have the conversation, but he was at his wits end.

_Wonderful. Stupid. Spontaneous. Memorable. Not-something-we-should-ever-do-again. _ It was a blow to his gut, but he could deal with. Stella seemed to have returned to her normal self and he tried to just rejoice in that fact.

He wanted more, but damn if he was going to let it keep him down. One shot, one night, was more than he could of ever dreamed to ask for. He wasn't going to mourn for something he'd never really had in the first place. Life would go on.

–

The shift rolled to an end and once again Adam Ross found himself in search of Stella Bonasera. It was a tad prolific; the way he was always chasing her and never the other way around. He wanted to give her a hug and just once again make sure they were okay.

He'd come to the conclusion that he would rather have her in his life as a friend than not at all. Something was better than nothing.

His stride slowed as he neared Mac's office. He shook his head and allowed a smile to overtake his face. He'd known, he'd known for a long time that they belonged. It never stopped his crush, but in his heart of hearts he knew that Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera were linked together in some cosmic way that was beyond him.

He felt a bit of jealousy but pushed it down. Letting her smile help him smile. He watched Mac pull Stella to him in a hug and the way her head settled in the crook of his neck.

And Adam Ross knew, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Stella had never been his. Her heart lay in another's hands.

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**A/N: Reviews? See, I'd never betray Mac and Stella. **


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